Good grief! What a mess at the end of a stellar performance by Austin Hubbard, who overcame the odds for the title at #LFA56!@lfafighting pic.twitter.com/fH4AIo0Yfx
— AXS TV Fights (@AXSTVFights) December 8, 2018
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TOTAL NUMBER OF LFA FIGHTS: 496
TOTAL NUMBER OF LFA EVENTS: 57
The Legacy Fighting Alliance on Friday brought a great lineup of fights to Prior Lake, Minnesota, as it staged its final event of 2018. LFA 56 “Hubbard vs. Mota” featured the latest stoppage in company history, a light heavyweight making sure everyone will learn his name and the most active fighter in combined LFA-Resurrection Fighting Alliance history.
TWO DOWN, FOREVER TO GO: LFA put on 27 shows this year. That was three fewer than a year ago, but the promotion held three more title fights in 2018 than it did in 2017.
PLAYING FAVORITES: The Legacy Fighting Alliance made its fourth trip this year to Prior Lake, Minnesota, with LFA 56, tying it with Dallas for the promotion’s most-visited city of 2018.
WELL, ’BOUT TIME FOR ME TO BE HITTIN’ THE OL’ DUSTY TRAIL: In finishing Killys Mota with only 15 seconds left in their championship bout, Austin Hubbard picked up the latest stoppage victory in LFA history. However, it was marred by repeated mistakes by referee Joe Fipp, who waved off the bout in the first round, only to reverse his call while claiming the round ended despite roughly 10 seconds remaining on the clock. In the fifth, Fipp stood by and watched Mota take dozens of unanswered strikes before finally calling a stop to the contest.
BREAKING A BRONCO, BUDDY: Hubbard became the first fighter to ever defeat Mota, who came into their bout at 11-0. Mota had the best undefeated record of any fighter to suffer a first loss in the LFA cage. Previously, a 10-0 Kyle Stewart dropped a decision to James Nakashima at LFA 46.
22 GOING ON 23: Bobby Lee competed for the seventh time under the LFA banner, tying him with Damon Jackson for the most bouts in the promotion all-time. Eleven of his 12 career fights have taken place in the Resurrection Fight Alliance or LFA, good for the most in their combined histories.
UH OH HOT DOG!: In falling to Demarques Jackson, Lee lost his third fight in the LFA, joining Bilal Williams, Katy Collins, Linsey Williams, Maicon Mendonca and Trent Meaux for the second-most losses in promotional history. The only fighter to have lost more times in the LFA cage is Darrick Minner (four).
EMBRACE THE GUILLOTINE: By submitting to a guillotine choke from Jackson, Lee became only the second fighter in company history to tap to multiple guillotines, joining Sidney Ben Simons. Lee previously tapped to a guillotine from Mota at LFA 41.
ALTON TOWERS: All five of Alton Cunningham’s career bouts have ended by knockout, win or lose, after he finished Erick Murray with punches in the second round. By picking up his third knockout under the LFA flag, he tied Kailan Hill and Taylor Johnson for the most inside the organization.
TREAT YOUSSEF: In forcing Steven Merrill to tap to a brabo choke, Youssef Zalal scored only the fifth submission of that type in promotional history.
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN: Coming into LFA 56, Ange Loosa had never competed in the United States nor had he ever fought beyond the first round (six fights) and Merrill had never been submitted (seven fights).
Jay Pettry is an attorney and a statistician. Writing about MMA since he started studying the “Eminem Curse” in 2012, and writing for Vice Sports and Combat Docket along the way, he put together many fight result and entrance music databases to better study the sport. You can find him on Twitter at @jaypettry.